How The Mighty Have Fallen: A Star Wars One-Shot
by ZackAttack78
Summary: In these dark times, not even the most decorated of war heroes can do anything to stop the Tyranny of the Empire. Something Tarfful knows all too well.


How the Mighty Have Fallen: A Star Wars One-Shot

BOOM! The sound of another tree hitting the ground rang across the now-barren forest. How sadistic. The powerful Wookiee warriors of Kashyyyk, now subjugated and forced to tear down their homes. The shear thought of this humiliation enraged Tarfful. The once great general was forced to destroy his home to advance the Imperial war machine. And if not cutting down the forests, they were sent off-world to the planet Kessel to mine for Spice, or to Imperial factories to build devastating weapons of war. Some of them were forced to do menial chores for their Imperial masters. He seethed with hate, and anger, and rage toward the Empire, but could do nothing about it.

After the Massacre of Lasan, the Wookiees new exactly what the Empire was capable of, and rightly feared it's might. Of course, there were a few pockets of warriors who stood up to the tyranny. They fought the Empire in a battle for freedom, however fruitless it was. Tarfful lead one of these unsuccessful freedom movements, and suffered for it. And the prosthetic leg he now sports is a constant reminder of his failure to defend his people. There were rumors, of course, that there were some remaining holdouts in the Black Forest, striking the Empire, guerilla style. But Tarfful didn't believe them, as much as part of him wished they'd be true. The other part wanted them to be as untrue as possible. He didn't want any more of his kinsfolk to risk their lives for a lost cause.

Having stopped to reflect on how he got in this position, Tarfful was soon whipped back into submission. The heat of the energy whip split his skin and made him roar in pain. He tried to be as strong as possible, tried to resist the pain, but he couldn't. He ultimately succumbed to his punishment, falling to his knees. The whipping continued, however. The pain continued. The humiliation continued. He thought it would never stop. But then it did.

"Hold, soldier. Don't you know who this?" Said a voice Tarfful was all too familiar with by now. Lieutenant Kaash Pol. The overseer of the labor camp Tarfful resided. Pol was sadistic, cruel, and, more than anything, theatrical.

"This is no mere beast you beat, but a decorated war hero," the Imperial Officer mocked, "This is the Great General Tarfful, hero of the Wookiee-Trandoshan Wars."

Tarfful, huffing from the pain, could do nothing but listen to the mock praise. "This hero, this champion of the Wookiee species, famous for his tactics in pushing back the Separatist armies, does not deserve to be beaten like an animal by some nameless, faceless, Stormtrooper."

Tarfful looked up to see the Stormtrooper passing the whip to Pol. "And that's why I'm taking over"

Tarfful seized in pain as Pol cracked his whip against his back. He buckled as his prosthetic leg shorted out from the energy of the whip. He roared as the whip caused blood to pour from his sides, down his scared and sore back. The other Wookiee slaves watched in horror.

"Oh, how the mighty have fallen!" Jested Lieutenant Pol, "Come on! Get up, oh, great general! Get up and fight!"

Tarfful wanted to. He wanted to grab his arm and tear it off. He wanted to beat him to death with his own limb and claim his whip as a trophy. But, he let it happen, for if he had retaliated, then death would be the consequence. And not his death, oh no. If that were the only consequence, then Tarfful would've killed Pol with no hesitation. No, it was the death of his fellow slaves he was trying to avoid. For if he were to retaliate in any way against Pol, he would suffer the execution of every wookiee in his former army. So he let it happen.

While all this was going on, one of the wookiee slaves watching couldn't take seeing this war hero suffer like this. With the other Stormtroopers distracted, this young slave grabbed the nearest Imperial soldier, lifted him above his head, and threw him across the field and straight into Leutnenent Pol. Stunned, no one quite knew what to do. Then another wookiee attacked the Stormtroopers, then more joined in, until they were completely overwhelmed. Tarfful was shocked, looking around as if it were some miracle happening around him.

The young wookiee that started this revolt helped Tarfful up, and urged him to join in the fight. Before he could, He felt a whip crack against his back again, as Pol had gotten back up.

"You stupid, primitive, dull monster! You'll all pay for this! The Empire will rain hellfire and death on all of you! You'll all be sorry when –"

And with that, Tarfful, the Great, Brave General of the Wookiee planet of Kashyyyk, finally silenced the Imperial slave master for good. After the bodies were burned, and the weapons collected, Tarfful and his new warriors headed off to the Black Forest to see if the rumors of a Wookiee rebellion were true. And if not, Tarfful fuly intended to start one.


End file.
